Pound, Pound, Pound Goes Down, Down, Down

Not to be a downer, but it is becoming painfully apparent that the economy is on a serious downturn. Employment is going down, debt is going up, and everyone is trying to dig themselves out of this mess one way or the other. So how is this affecting London and the UK as a whole?

This afternoon, I was interested to see how the pound was doing against the US dollar and what I found was shocking, at least to me. For the last several years, it seems, the pound fared much better than its US counterpart, coming in at almost twice the value. Today, though, this is no longer the case. As of this writing, the pound is down to 1.4 times the US dollar and I suspect that it may continue to fall before it goes back up again.

So, what does this mean for UK tourism???

My inclination is to guess that, if us Americans can actually afford the airfare to get over to the UK, there will be more of us spending our hard-earned dollars in the country to take advantage of this opportunity to cash in on London food, fashion, and fun without too much pain in the pocket. But that is a big "if." Right now, judging by how much vacations and tourism have slipped lately, this is seeming less and less probable.

With all this financial struggle in the world, what can we do to ease the burden? The following is a work in progress, but here you will find a list of suggestions for how to stretch your pound as far as it will go:

• Take the time to shop for cheaper off-brand items at stores like Iceland, Asda (the UK version of Wal-mart), and Argos. Argos actually has some great deals on electronics and appliances; you just have to queue twice - once to order and another time to pick up. Given the current state of things, I'd say it's worth it. Come on, you can wait. It won't kill you. I promise.


• Enjoy the fresh fruit and vegetables on offer at the outdoor market in your neighborhood. There is some good stuff; you just have to look for it.


• Take out all the money you plan to use this month in cash and only use that. No credit or debit cards.


• Find a flatmate if you don't have one, and if you already do, make more of an effort to shut the lights off and take shorter showers. This will at least save you in the utilities department. This one is pretty obvious, but I figured I would say it anyway.


• If you need to exchange money, do it at Marks & Spencer or the bank, not at the airport.


• Never travel without an Oyster card. It is much cheaper than single fares, not to mention you don't have to wait in line every time you want to take the train somewhere.


• If you can manage it, walk. I know it's hard; this coming from someone who often gets winded walking from the bedroom to the kitchen. Your bum AND your wallet will thank you.

If you have any suggestions for things to add to this list, by all means leave a comment below and I will make the necessary additions. I am by no means an expert; I'm just trying to get by like the rest of you sad sacks.